Next stop on our SAS users’ group road trip – October 14-16 in Research Triangle Park, NC, for the 20th Annual SouthEastern SAS Users Group Conference.  

Hello!  This is my first post to the SAS Users Groups blog and what a fun way to start.  Granted, the Triangle doesn’t have a Disney World or a Fisherman’s Wharf,  but with three major cities in easy reach, there are plenty of reasons to visit. Here’s a list of my top 5 favorite things to see and do in less than 25 minutes from the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Conference Center. 

 5.  Get outdoors.  You can’t beat the Triangle for great places to walk, run, or bicycle.  The fall is a perfect time of year to put on your walking shoes and wander along the trails in Umstead State Park, Historic Yates Mill Pond or Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve.  Gardeners, don’t miss this chance to see the fall blooms at JC Raulston Arboretum, Sara P. Duke Gardens, or the NC Botanical Garden.  No admission at any of these fine places.

 4. Eat great food.   Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill are a foodie’s paradise.  Check out these award-winning chefs and their restaurants:  John Toler at Bloomsbury Bistro,  Sara Foster at Foster’s Market, and Andrea Reusing at The Lantern.  (There are many more—please ask me.) And every week, new dining spots and shops open on the Raleigh entertainment and Durham entertainment scenes.  

 3.  Take in a little art and culture.   The recently renovated North Carolina Museum of Art has a collection that rivals anything larger cities have to offer, and it’s  surrounded by an art-filled park and walking trails—all free!  The Durham Performing Arts Center draws top talent to the area.  Spouses, there are a few seats left for the Pink Floyd Australia concert on October 14!  And for culture of a different kind, check out the NC State Fair, one of the country’s largest and longest running (See also:  Eat fun food).

 2.  Learn some cool science.  My family can’t get enough of the hands-on exhibits at the new Nature Research Center of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh.  On a recent visit, they practiced with micropipettes, watched a 3-D movie about space junk, and chatted with museum vets as they gave a gopher tortoise its yearly wellness exam.  Best of all . . . there’s no charge.  Likewise, the Museum of Life and Science in Durham will educate and entertain kids of all ages. 

 1.  Visit SAS.   Where it all began!  I joined SAS as a technical writer when software manuals were written on the mainframe.  Although my tasks and titles and tools have changed a lot over the years, two things haven’t changed:  the enthusiasm of SAS users and the innovative ways they use SAS software.  Come to SESUG 2012 to see why we’re still as enthusiastic as ever.

 Remember, you don’t have to be a member to register and attend.  SAS User Group conferences are open to all.  Some of the opportunities this October include:

•  opening session and reception in state-of-the-art SAS Executive Briefing Center 
• special SESUG pricing for SAS classroom training
• impressive lineup of workshops, papers and presentations
• and have I mentioned great food?  

 On a personal note, I’m thrilled to return to my roots, learning about SAS software and sharing those discoveries with users.   I look forward to meeting and talking with many of you in the months ahead.